Junior guard Ty Johnson received a waiver from the NCAA on Saturday, allowing him to immediately suit up for the Gamecocks. Johnson, a transfer from Villanova, was originally going to be out until mid-December due to transferring at the Christmas break last year.

Instead, Johnson was in uniform and warming up before the Gamecocks began their season against Longwood. He had a career high 18 points in his South Carolina debut as USC won 82-44.

Because he played nine minutes in an exhibition game for Villanova before he announced his intention to transfer, the NCAA was looking at those nine minutes as constituting a full year of eligibility. Johnson is currently classified as a junior, meaning he has this season and the 2014-15 season to compete.

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